Drinking themselves into oblivion

I am slightly behind the times. The November issue of the thought-provoking magazine THE ATLANTIC arrived in the mail yesterday.
I am not complaining -- the substance of the magazine always compels me to keep reading.
There's a short article in the November magazine dealing with an issue I have not seen widely reported, even though its implications seem potentially severe.
RUSSIA has lost 5 million residents during the past two decades and a man's average life expectancy is a mere 59.8 years. In effect, heavy abuse of alcohol is depopulating the nation.
The author of the Atlantic piece takes a look at the wider problem of deadly binge drinking within the scope of his MOSCOW apartment building. (You can read the Atlantic's story, here.)
As I read, I couldn't help wonder how low birthrates and rising death rates will impact the country in successive decades. Also, with our obesity problems, will the UNITED STATES be far behind?